Reverse mechanism for propeller-shafts.



F. GETTELMAN.

REVERSE MECHANISM FORPROPELLER SHA FTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.1914.

' LRMMM. Patented May 30, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH p0,, WASHINGTON, n. c.

rnnnnnicx en'r'rnnmnlv, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

REVERSE MECHANISM FOR PROPELLEBPSHAFTS.

LlMhgdd.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 39, 1916.

Application filed July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,355.

Shafts; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its primary object to provide a simple, economicaland effective reversing mechanism for motor driven pro-- pellers, theconstruction and arrangement being such that a reverse of the propelleris effected while the engine is running in one direction.

Specific objects of my invention are to provide a reversing clutch-gearconnection between a propeller-shaft and a drive-shaft, the same beingapproximately at right angles to each other; to provide a back gearedclutch connection between the drive and the driven propeller shaft,whereby the propeller will exert a maximum propelling force under loadstrain without causing the engine to stall or lag at high or its maximumspeed, which would result in a material reduction in efliciency of thepower; to provide a reversing clutch mechanism between a horizontallydisposed propeller shaft and a vertically disposed engine driven shaft,whereby thrust of the propeller will force and maintain the clutch inits selected locked position to thus dispense with looking detents orlike mechanisms.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as setforth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents an elevation of a portable marineengine provided with a reverse mechanism embodying the features of myinvention, with parts broken away and parts in section to more clearlyillustrate the details of construction, and Fig. 2, a similarelevation'of another form of my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents an engine having avertically disposed incased drive-shaft 2, the said engine beingarranged to be attached to a small craft or rowboat and may be of anytype, it being understood that, so far as my invention pertains, thedetails of constructlon of an engine form no part except as to provide avertically disposed drive shaft. Secured to the lower end of the driveshaft is a gear-wheel 3 in the form of a beveled pimon, Whlch pinion isrevoluble in a housing 4 that is fixed to a tubing 5 constituting partof the engine casing, the said tubing forming a jacket for the driveshaft. The housing 4: is provided with hearing boxes 6, 6, for ahorizontally disposed propeller shaft 7, which shaft extends beyond thehousing and has secured thereto the ordinary propeller 8. The journal-box 6 of the housing is alined with the drive shaft 2 and looselymounted upon the driven propeller shaft are oppositely disposed beveledgearwheels 9, 9, the hubs of which abut the journal-box 6. Thegear-wheels 9, 9, in this exemplification of my invention are shown inconstant mesh with the gear-wheel 3 and are of approximately twice thediameter of the drive-shaft gear-wheel or pinion, whereby motionimparted to the driven propeller shaft is reduced by the back-gearconnection mentioned. Each gear-wheel 9, 9, is formed with a beveledfaced clutch-hub 10, 10, which clutch-hubs are adapted to be engaged bycontemporary clutch members 11, 11, that are secured to thepropellershaft. The clutch-member 11, is annularly grooved for thereception of the spannered end 12 of a shift-lever 13, which shift-laver is pivotally mounted within the housing and extended therethrough.In order to form a water-tight joint and to at the same time permitoscillatory movement of the clutch lever 13, a flexible joint betweenthe housing and lower end of the lever-adjacent to its fulcrum point isefi'ected by a flexible jacket or sheathing 13- From the foregoingdescription it is manifest that should the propeller shaft be rotatingin the direction indicated by the arrow, forward end thrust of the shaftwill maintain clutching engagement between the clutch-member 11 andgear-wheel 9, whereby the drive-shaft 2, which is arranged to revolve inone direction only, will transmit power to the propeller shaft and thelever 13 will thus be free of any locking mecha nism for the reverseclutch. Should it be desired to reverse the direction of rotation of thepropeller shaft, a forward movement of the lever 13, in the directionindicated by the arrow, will cause a slight backward movement of thepropeller shaft, whereby the gear-wheel 9 will be locked in engage.-

ment with said propeller shaft by the clutch member 11 andsimultaneously the clutchmechanism 11 will free the gear-wheel 9. fromits locked engagement withsaid shaft. Hence power from the driveshaft '2will be I imparted to the propeller shaft in a reverse the typementioned which is designed to be direction through its gear connection9. Thus it will beseen that in an engine of run in one direction only,'aquick reverse can be effected whereby perfect control of the craft towhich the engine is attached 7 will result.

Fig. 2 illustrates another form of my invention wherein the propellershaft 7 is Denies of this patent may be obtained for I journaled in thehousing and has secured thereto and within said housing a large beveledgearwheel 3, which gear-wheel I V is arranged to be engaged selectivelyby one of a pair of beveled gear-wheels 14, 14, V which beveledgear-wheels arein the form of pinions and are fast upon the verticallydisposed engine shaft 2. 'By thisarrangement in order to shift orreverse the direction of rotation of the propeller shaft, theengine'shaft is raised or lowered by a lever mechanism 15 and locked inits adjusted position by'said mechanism. I claim,

1. A screw propeller reverse driving mechanism comprising alongitudinally'movable propeller shaft, a drive shaft disposed at rightangles thereto, a gear on the drive shaft, intermeshinggears loose onthe propeller shaft, and clutch members carried v by the propeller shaftfor selective engagement with the gears thereof at relatively outwardsides of said gears.

* 2. A reverse driving mechanism for out board motors comprising thecombination with a depending drive shaft housing, and drive shaft, of acasing carried at the lower end of the housing and provided with a leveropening, a propeller shaft in the casing, a clutch mechanism assdciatedwith the propeller and drive shafts, a lever pivoted in the casing andconnected with said mechanism and extending upwardly through the saidopening and a flexible housing secured to the lever and to the casingadjacent the edge portions of the lever opening.

peller shaft, gear wheels on the drive shaft adapted to selectively meshwith the first gear wheel and means connected with the drive shaft abovethe motor for moving it longitudinally.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing A I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee, m the county of Mllwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK GETTELMAN.

Witnesses GEO. W. YOUNG, M. E. DOWNEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01. Patents, Washington,D. 0.

